the way home
by nothingmuchreally
Summary: a set of drabbles about a dog and his journey as he finds his way back home. *contains major spoilers to woofio's heart events* (regardless1604's 100 themes challenge)
1. intro

i. intro

Empty.

A sad, hollow shell of who he once was.

He has a secret, one that he usually masks by feigning aloofness. Or a-woof-ness, as he'd often joke. With the way he looked and all, the image of an eccentric animal trainer, he found, gave him a reason to stay. The villagers already regarded him a freak as it was. He didn't mind the intense stares and the weird looks he'd get every now and then. In a sense, it made it easier on him.

He would keep up his animal-loving, happy-go-lucky persona as long as it kept people away.


	2. river

ii. river

He'd been following a butterfly when he first bumped into her.

Its large, iridescent blue wings had fascinated him, almost mesmerizing him as he let go of his mother's hand to chase it down. He could faintly hear her calling, telling him not to stray too far but the butterfly's enchantment was too strong. It pulled him away from his surroundings, deep into the forest.

Almost as if it was leading him straight towards her.

 _Stay_ , she had begged him. _Play with me_.

And away that butterfly flew, down the river bend – his last fleeting memory of his former life.


	3. farm

iii. farm

There were vague recollections of horses, of cows, of a man and woman whose faces were now hazy. There was also a girl – a younger sister, perhaps? – who'd listen raptly as he read to her from a book about a rabbit and his adventures as he found his way back home.

He once attempted, after mustering up courage, to return to the farm he had grown up on – but was discouraged to find that his family had long since left. As if they'd forgotten him.

Could there be someone waiting for him, too? Wondering if he'd come back home someday?


	4. warmth

iv. warmth

The villagers of Lulukoko would often gather around the bonfire until late at night. Zahau had once kindly invited him but he refused, although he might have been tempted to join if asked again.

Sometimes his curiosity would get the best of him. He'd hide near the well while they sang and danced. He'd imagine sharing normal human laughs and conversations with them, yet no matter how much he practiced, the words would slip from his tongue.

No, it was best for him to keep a distance from the fire.

He felt the heat but was afraid it would burn.


	5. clouds

v. clouds

On hot summer days, he'd rest above the ruins away from prying eyes. He tries to do as the humans do and watch the clouds, attempting to form images in his head. Alma once said she saw a dragon. He asks the peacocks what they see, but they don't quite understand his question and instead chatter on about a girl who had dared to pick them up the other day.

He smiles. Although his animal friends couldn't fully comprehend human affairs, it was nice to have their company. It was nice not to be alone. This was enough for him.


	6. bells

vi. bells

He opens his eyes with a start. His head is ringing as he looks up to see an unfamiliar face staring down at him. Had he fallen from the ruins again?

The girl extends her hand as he slowly comes to his senses. He last remembers dozing off… He must have had that dream again. It hits him that the girl is still there and he prays that she hadn't seen him fall.

She smiles at him.

He hears that ringing again, something within him beginning to stir. Maybe the tumble had a greater effect on him than he thought.


	7. love

vii. love

Love creates attachments. Attachments to a particular place, to a particular setting… to a particular person.

They say having a special someone changes a person. He doesn't quite understand it, actually. How humans would be so willing to throw themselves into something that deep, leaving them vulnerable to potential angst and regret. Although he lost most of his human characteristics long ago, some of his feelings are still intact. He can't ever get hurt physically but he can still empathize with emotional pain, and from what he sees, love isn't worth it.

It's an emotion he can't afford to have.


	8. cold

viii. cold

Her hands were freezing, almost ice to the touch. He knows now that she was not quite human, but back then, when he was innocent, all he knew was that she wanted him to stay.

She said she had been alone for a long time.

They played together for what felt like a couple days – talking with animals, eating sweets, laughing at magic tricks.

But when he had finally torn himself away from those cold hands, it was as if the lack of heat had spread to him as well.

He no longer had the warmth of a living body.


	9. coffee

ix. coffee

The people in town seem to really dig the stuff.

They were only re-introduced to it after Nanami had strengthened their bond with Westown, but there had not been a morning that went by without them having their fill of the strong, brown liquid.

"It's addictive," Ludus had shrugged while sipping his mug. "And Siluka said it has healing properties as well. Why don't you try some?"

Sharing a cup with another villager also seemed like a social activity. He'd witnessed several boys asking Nanami out for coffee already. Was it that tasty?

He decided it wasn't really for him.


	10. gift

x. gift

He would often see her running after the wild animals, trying to offer them some fruit.

He chuckles, as she doesn't know quite yet that they're easily startled – in order to gain their trust, she'd have to leave her offerings on the ground and wait for them to approach her first. Still, it's been a while since he's last seen someone this eager and willing to befriend the wildlife. Maybe someday he could give her a couple of pointers. She might have what it takes to be an animal trainer, just like him.

She's rather cute, he thinks to himself.


	11. fire

xi. fire

"And the winner is… Beni from Crimson Farm!"

He saw her face fall. Her cow had been wonderful, yes, but its coat had not been shiny enough – a requirement for the Veteran level. He thought she might cry, but a determined fire quickly overtook her eyes as they burned a flame he had not seen before.

He was surprised. He liked that look, and made up his mind that he would like to befriend her.

And one summer day, he took his chance.

"Say… haven't we met befur?" _Of course they had_. "At the Animal Festival perhaps? You're Nanami, right?"


	12. marriage

xii. marriage

"I'm gonna marry Ludus someday!"

"Gross, why would he marry _you_?"

" _Gross_? I'm telling Mom!"

Alma and Schalk bickered while Ludus and Nanami glanced at him sheepishly, as if expecting him to intervene. _Woofio, do something_ , Nanami mouthed.

He sighed. "Now, now, Alma, Schalk –"

"Ludus should marry someone like Nanami!" Schalk beamed. "She's real pretty, and accepts all my pranks!"

A light blush grew on both Ludus and Nanami's faces as Ludus sputtered, "Wh-what? She's just a sister to me, Schalk – basically _ohana_."

He could have sworn that he saw Nanami's face fall as Ludus tried to explain himself.


	13. death

xiii. death

She could have drowned.

He was careless. His first human friend after a long time, and he was too excited to stop and remember that normal people can't breathe underwater.

They were having such a great time, too. She'd agreed to join him in his training in learning how to be one with the animals. Then he had ruin it by telling her to emulate a shellfish and dive into the ocean.

Why was communicating with humans so difficult?

He was sure a mood-killer. He didn't expect her to talk to him after this fiasco. Their friendship was probably over.


	14. lookalike

xiv. lookalike

Noel is a carbon copy of Miranda. Colin and Hector both are men of few words. Tatsumi and Yaichi get their looks from their mother.

He wonders if all children are extensions of their parents.

If so, does that mean that he, too, resembles his?

He doesn't remember them very well. But he does remember that his mother's hands were very warm. She'd often pat him on the head and sang to him whenever he was sad. He looks down at his huge paws. He tries patting himself on the head, but instead of warmth, he feels nothing at all.


	15. apple

xv. apple

 _Parrots like apples, peacocks like cherries, lemurs like_ – wait, what?

He stops himself.

It wasn't as if he was trying to find an excuse to talk to her again. She'd approached him a couple times after the incident, but he'd brushed her off because he was still too embarrassed to face her.

Then, the other day, he saw her trying to pick up a peacock and watched as they pecked and chased her around. He thought she would stop afterwards, but there she was with them again today.

 _She never gives up, does she_ , he grinned. _She's a good person._


	16. life

xvi. life

Sometimes he wondered if he was truly alive.

He couldn't eat, breathe, drink, or sleep like normal humans do. Does he still have a soul? Could he even die? Or would he be forced to mindlessly roam the earth for the rest of his life?

He wonders about these things, and just when these thoughts threaten to overtake him, she comes and reminds him who he is. She's the only one who treats him normally, who doesn't look at him and see a monster. She keeps him grounded when he feels he'd float away.

 _She makes me feel human again_.


	17. night

xvii. night

Nanami often comes to visit Lulukoko after she finishes her work for the day.

She makes her way around the villagers, laughing and stealing glances at Ludus ( _she thinks nobody knows but he notices the way she looks at him_ ), and finally comes to sit next to him.

During the night, as they watch the village sing and dance around the fire, she tells him of her childhood and her father's expectations. That they aren't on good terms. That sometimes she still feels lonely here.

"Why do you tell me these things?" he asks.

She blinks.

"Because you're my friend."


	18. children

xviii. children

Yaichi had often cried whenever he was around, to the point where even Tatsumi couldn't appease him. Then one day, he had offered him a piece of candy and it was as if all his reservation towards him had vanished completely. Since then, Yaichi would follow him around with a huge grin on his face until he couldn't handle it anymore.

He gently grabbed him by his shoulders and warned him not to be easily swayed by free things, then pat him on the head and walked away.

All the village children had little sense of self-preservation. It worried him.


	19. sun

xix. sun

Her face is as radiant as the sun.

"Woofio!" she yells as she crashes into him.

"Nanami?" he mutters as he pushes her off of himself. "What's gotten into you, woof?"

"I- I did it!" She waves around a sheet of paper. He faintly makes out the words _Farming Tips #2_.

"You finished the first one?!"

"Yes, a couple days ago," she laughs. "It isn't much, I know, but it's one step closer to finally earning my dad's approval!"

He peeks at her brilliant face, feeling the tiniest bit pleased that he was the first one she came running to.


	20. beach

xx. beach

Wandering by the shore, he gets a glimpse of his own reflection.

He's no longer startled by the face he sees.

It reminds him of the first time he'd seen his new face – when he saw a dog costume staring back at him from a nearby pond. He had yelped and nearly fallen into the water. He tried to remove the costume, but no matter what he did, it wouldn't come off.

He grows increasingly agitated and starts hyperventilating, then –

"Woofio!" He hears her voice and is brought back to the present. "Are you alright?" she asks.

"Pawsitively wonderful, woof."


	21. harvest festival

xxi. harvest festival

He heard she won the harvest festival.

She's the talk of the town these days –Nanami, the future legendary farmer. And all three towns have gotten busier, too, with all the revenue they get from shipping her crops.

She's also built up a considerable fanbase. Just this past week alone, she's received two confessions from hopeful male admirers.

He could see why. If he was a normal human, he'd probably be head over paws for her as well. She was capable, so caring of others – animals and humans alike.

It's a miracle that she would even befriend someone like him.


	22. afraid

xxii. afraid

This is the path that he's chosen.

This is who the great animal trainer Woofio is – a friend to children everywhere. A fun, jovial character who made dog puns all the time.

It used to be easy to keep up this façade, but now his familiar mask was beginning to slip. The other day when he saw her laughing with Ludus, he felt a pang of longing as he imagined someday being able to interact with her out in the open like that.

It wasn't enough to just _feel_ human anymore. He wants to _be_ one.

And it frightens him.


	23. hate

xxiii. hate

He doesn't like getting angry. It takes almost too much effort for him to get invested, so he would rather look for peaceful solutions to problems. However, it was a totally different matter when it came to people who bullied animals or messed up their homes. He had absolutely no mercy for humans like that.

One time, after an animal festival he saw someone berating his animal for losing. The poor alpaca was trembling in fear and when he saw that he just lost it and went up to him and…

Needless to say, he punished that man without remorse.


	24. birth

xxiv. birth

These days, he felt a tinge of annoyance whenever he saw Nanami with Ludus.

He knows it's unjustified. He had no reason to dislike Ludus. They weren't necessarily friends, but sometimes they would fish together. And Nanami is his favorite person – his only person – in the village.

He just hated the thought of the two together.

He can't exactly describe what he feels, but an entirely new range of emotions had been born within him. From feelings of envy, to irritation, and to the gloominess when people agreed they were well-matched, Nanami made him feel things he'd never felt before.


	25. farmer

xxv. farmer

It was no good. The more time he spent with her, the more he lost sight of who he was trying to be. Yet at the same time it was exciting to be able to feel again – to feel these emotions he thought would never return to him.

He figures he should stay away but still couldn't help but to gravitate towards her. He is intrigued. He is a moth to a flame. Technically, he could still stay near her and befriend her and find out what makes her tick without getting _too_ close… right?

… It was possible, right?


	26. food

xxvi. food

"How come you never eat in front of me?"

She pouts, a smoothie in her hand. He doesn't know what to say. He can't eat, drink, or breathe ever since he was cursed. But how was he supposed to explain that?

They meet at Carosello occasionally for lunch. He usually orders a smoothie each time just to appease her, and now she brings him one nearly every day.

He takes the drink from her, and with a smile, pretends to guzzle some of it down.

He hopes she doesn't notice the small pool of pink liquid accumulating near his feet.


	27. blushing

xxvii. blushing

When was the last time someone had pet his head like that?

…

No. What was he thinking. She was just a normal girl. He shouldn't become too invested in her, or let her get that close to him next time. It would be okay. He'd been down this road before –

"Woofio!" Alma's voice slowly drew him out of his reverie. "Come play house with me and Schalk! Hey… wait a minute, why is your face all re – AH!"

He rushed past them, holding his paws up to his face as he ran.

"What's the matter with him?" Schalk piped.


	28. sickness

xxviii. sickness

It is flu season. The villagers were dropping like flies. Nanami, too, had been unable to visit for a while.

He also was feeling pretty weird. He was less lively this past week – even his animal friends couldn't bring his mood up. There was that twisting sensation in his gut when he thought of her struggling alone, and that fluttery feeling in his stomach when he thought of reuniting with her soon. It made him wonder if he, perhaps, was catching something.

Granted, it was impossible for him to become sick, but there couldn't be other explanations for his symptoms.


	29. fireworks

xxix. fireworks

In Westown, they hold a fireworks show after the New Year's countdown.

"It's like a whole bunch of colors bursting into the night sky."

Her face shone as she animatedly described the pyrotechnic effects that would cause sparks to shatter into many particles.

"We used to watch them in my hometown every year by ourselves while my dad was …" She trails off and quickly diverts the topic, mentioning the mochi-pounding ceremony they had at Tsukuyusa.

He knows her father is still a sore subject.

He wants to comfort her somehow.

He reaches for her hand before he stops himself.


	30. trees

xxx. trees

It's nearing the end of summer now.

To him, the changing of the leaves represents the passage of time. This had, after all, helped him hold onto himself as the years went by.

He stayed in that forest for a long time. After overcoming his initial shock, he ran back to look for that room where he played with the spirit-girl but it had completely vanished. And he could understand what the animals around him were saying. In that moment, he realized he could never return home.

He picks up a stray leaf. How many years has it been, exactly?


	31. harvest goddess

xxxi. harvest goddess

He was lying when he said he had come solely due the sheer amount of rare wild animals.

Originally, he had planned on moving to Westown.

There were tales of a mystical goddess who lived in the spring, and he hoped that she would be able to undo his curse. But once he heard of the rumored spirit living in Lulukoko, he decided to take his chances and search for it. He was positive that the girl he played with many years ago had been one, after all. Perhaps they were related.

He's had no luck in finding her, however.


	32. books

xxxii. books

She hands him a book one day instead of the usual smoothie.

He takes it from her reluctantly. He had learned how to read when he was still human, but the pages of a book were often too thin and difficult for his large paws to turn or fumble through.

But since it was from Nanami…

"It was one of my favorites growing up," she says. "About a china rabbit who gets lost but eventually finds his way back home."

He stares at her quizzically.

"He reminds me of you."

"Why, woof?"

"… You'll see. Promise me you'll read it."


	33. necklace

xxxiii. necklace

One day he sees something in her backpack that makes his jaw drop.

"Oh, this?" She holds up the pendant. "It's… from Ludus. I couldn't reply right away, but he insisted I take it and consider him."

 _Good for her_ , he thinks. _Ludus had been a fool for never noticing her._

Yet why hadn't she accepted immediately? He was sure she'd felt the same. Unless…

… No. She was just nice. And he wasn't any better. He'd disappoint her, and possibly end up hurting her too. He wasn't very good with human words or expressing himself. There was no way.


	34. serenity

xxxiv. serenity

They're laying side by side in his spot above the ruins, enjoying the fall breeze and the peaceful scenery while she talks.

Her workaholic father hoped she'd take over the family business. But why would she, when he was never there for her growing up?

"It's alright. I don't need him anymore."

She turns to look at him.

"I've met people who I really care about here. Who make me feel like I belong."

"… That's pawsitively wonderful. But shouldn't you be telling them this, and not me, woof?" he smiles, aloof to her crestfallen look at his offhanded comment.


	35. so what?

xxxv. so what?

He sees her off to the side, giggling about goddess-knows-what with Ludus.

Dumb Ludus, with his human hands and human face.

Why does this bother him? It never used to bother him before. It's been irking him since she showed him the necklace. Did she decide to accept it? Is that why they were together now?

She would be better off with someone like him anyway – someone who's real and alive. Someone who isn't an outcast and someone who's loved by many. Someone just like her.

It has nothing to do with him.

He kicks a pebble into the ocean.


	36. marathon

xxxvi. marathon

He decides to take a break from the villagers (specifically, from her) and ventures to the forest.

 _You shouldn't be here_ , a voice murmured.

He sees an old owl perched upon a branch.

"Please. I need your guidance one last time."

Silence.

"There's… this girl. A human girl. You said I still retain my humanity. Is it possible that… for someone like me to…"

 _… My boy. The answer to that is something you've already come to terms with, is it not?_

At once, scenes of their moments play in his head one after another, overwhelming him.

… Oh, no.


	37. quietude

xxxvii. quietude

"I thought I felt the same about Ludus, but… I realized he's more of an older brother to me."

She's staring straight into his eyes.

"There's someone else that matters more."

He swallows.

He doesn't want to know. It's much easier for him to stay oblivious. So he says something he knows he'll regret.

"By the way, I heard around town that everyone thinks you and I are real buddies."

"… They're not wrong."

"I appreciate it, but… I'm a wanderer, so we shouldn't be closer than this, woof."

They sit in silence for the remainder of their time together.


	38. flower

xxxviii. flower

The more he got to know her, the more he realized that maybe she wasn't all that normal, either. He'd see her having conversations and laughing to herself from time to time. And she says that she can see flowers around people. "Yours is almost dark blue," she'd told him with a smile. Whatever that means. He wonders if it's similar to the twins' abilities to read auras.

True, it initially threw him off, but now he finds it almost reassuring that even someone as perfect as her has strange habits. Maybe that's what drew him so strongly towards her.


	39. light

xxxix. light

It's that dream again.

He's running.

Yet his body is light as a feather, and he's not out of breath even though he had run so far.

He's panicking by the time the animals find him. They bring him to their leader – a blind owl who eventually takes him under his wing. He was like a father to him.

 _You need to leave._ The owl told him one day.

"But I've nowhere else to go."

 _My boy, you are not one of us. Deep inside, you are still human._

 _Go. Find yourself._

He wakes up feeling less human than ever.


	40. spring

xl. spring

Spring is his favorite season because it's when his animal friends come out to play again.

Fall is her favorite season because she likes the changing colors and the busyness as everyone prepares for the final harvest before winter.

Fall used to be his least-favorite season. It would just remind him how all his friends would soon be leaving him. It's different in Lulukoko because it's basically summer year-round, but the memories of his lonely winters are etched within the back of his mind.

Nevertheless, it was still nice to see her so happy while jumping through huge leaf piles.


	41. turmoil

xli. turmoil

"I've always made it a point not to get too close to anyone, so… why is it that you keep trying to get closer to me?"

She smiles.

"If you keep doing that, I just don't know what to do. It hurts being with you."

Her smile slowly begins to change to a look of confusion and worry.

"… Ha ha! Just kidding!"

He throws his hands in the air, desperately wanting to break the current tension looming over them. He doesn't want to see that expression on her face.

"I'm just a stuffed animal, so nothing really hurts, woof!"


	42. pumpkin

xlii. pumpkin

Tomorrow is the Pumpkin Festival and Nanami was too busy making sweets for the village children to come visit him. So with time to kill, he finds himself reading the book she gifted him at the beginning of the season.

 _Once, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china…_

He stops after skimming through the first few pages. There was something about the china rabbit that unnerved him. Maybe it was the doll's chilling resemblance to himself. The way they thought was too similar. But how did Nanami…

Ah. No matter. He probably wouldn't read it again.


	43. annoying

xliii. annoying

He spots Nanami near the entrance of the gate.

He goes to say hi, but to his dismay, he sees Hinata and Yuzuki trailing behind her. They grin, enraptured by her as she dashed to Carosello to reserve them a table.

He knows what he feels. He's not as dense to his feelings as he lets on to her. He always becomes irritated when he sees her with other men. But it's the first time he's ever felt this way. A wanting to monopolize, to mark her as his so no one else would even look at her like that.


	44. nothing

xliv. nothing

 _"I love you," the girl would say each night. Then she waited, as if she expected the rabbit to say something in return._

 _The rabbit said nothing because, of course, he could not speak. He stared up at the ceiling, knowing soon she would be asleep._

 _Sometimes, if she put him on his side instead of his back, he could see out into the night. The stars shone, and their light comforted him in a way that he could not quite understand. Often, he stared at the stars all night until the dark finally gave way to dawn._

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	45. stuffed animal

xlv. stuffed animal

He told her.

He can't believe that he just spilled his secret, the one he swore he would take to his grave.

He wasn't just a man who looked like a stuffed doll. There was no one inside. He himself was the dog costume. That's why he was never hungry, and never felt pain.

He wasn't worried she would tell other people. If word got out, he was sure that she would go through any means to defend him. But it didn't matter whether or not she could protect him.

He doesn't have the confidence that he could protect _her_.


	46. worms

xlvi. worms

"I'll always be by your side."

Her bold statement had opened a whole new can of worms.

She can't be by his side. She shouldn't feel any sort of sympathy for him. It would make her miserable, in the end.

He could get by being the lone outcast who wore an animal suit. He was used to it. But if she was with him, people would shun her as well. The price she'd pay for his happiness would be to sacrifice her own.

… He couldn't handle that. It made him feel downright awful.

She was too precious to him.


	47. fantasy

xlvii. fantasy

He lets himself imagine sometimes.

Walking in public with her, showing her the forest he grew up in, introducing her to his family.

Taking care of the animals with her.

Going on adventures with her.

Watching the fireworks with her.

Telling her everything. That he can't stand the thought of her with other men. That he's done trying to push her away. That he's through with pretending, that all he wants to do is…

Embrace her. Hold her hand. Cuddle her in his arms.

Share meals with her.

Stay up all night talking with her.

 _Be human enough for her_.


	48. name

xlviii. name

"What's your real name, then?"

He's taken aback by her sudden question.

"… I can't say."

He can't say because he can't recall the name his human parents had given him. There is no "him" before Woofio. The name "Woofio" itself had been bestowed on him from the owl when he first started living in the forest.

"… Is it because you don't remember?"

 _Oof_. How did she manage to hit the target every single time?

"Listen, Nanami…"

"No, Woofio, _you_ listen. I. don't. care. Your past doesn't define you."

She takes his hand.

"It's the you now that matters."


	49. harvest sprites

xlix. harvest sprites

Nanami once asked him his age and just to mess with her a bit, he told her he was sixty years old. The look on her face had been priceless.

But he really doesn't quite know.

He remembers also playing with colorful elves in the forest, which, according to village folklore, only children or those pure of heart can see. That means he must've still been young – perhaps around Tatsumi's age or so – when he was spirited away. Since it's been approximately ten years since then, that'd make him a little older than Nanami.

He'd tell her that next time.


	50. winter

l. winter

She knit him a blue scarf, to "match his hat", she says. "It's cold around this time of year."

But she knows the cold doesn't bother him.

"Okay, you got me. I just wanted to make you look and feel more human."

He's surprised. He hadn't expected her to realize that the looks he got from the villagers actually made him really lonely.

"You're more conscious than you let on. I wish they'd see what I see." She let out a sigh, holding onto his arm and snuggling up close.

The frostiness of winter doesn't feel as sharp this year.


	51. animals

li. animals

They know he usually spends winter alone, but they have to go. It's too cold for them to stay here. If they could, they would take him too. Yet he can't come with them. He's not entirely like the rest of them. He's different.

They notice the gradual change within him. He hadn't seemed as sad to say goodbye. They know it's because of the girl, the one who gives them fruits from time to time. When she's around, he starts to show more of who he's meant to be.

They leave peacefully this year, knowing he's in good hands.


	52. mermaid

lii. mermaid

"Wow, Woofio, are you a mermaid? How do you breathe underwater for so long?"

Alma beams as he resurfaces. She and Schalk had been fighting (as per usual) and he'd thrown her most prized possession - a conch shell she got from Ludus - into the ocean.

And as if on instinct, he'd jumped right in to retrieve it.

He shakes himself dry as Alma squeals and runs off in joy. Watching her zoom through past the tourists, he almost smiles before he catches himself. He wonders what's gotten into him lately, for he never used to concern himself with village affairs.


	53. princess

liii. princess

 _"Once there was a princess who was very beautiful. She shone as bright as the stars on a moonless night. But what difference did it make that she was beautiful? None. No difference."_

 _"Why did it make no difference?" asked the girl._

 _"Because," said her grandmother, "she was a princess who loved no one and cared nothing for love, even though there were many who loved her."_

 _At this point in her story, she stopped and looked straight at the rabbit. She stared deep into his painted-on eyes, and again, he felt a shiver go through him._

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	54. sleep

liv. sleep

He's not as afraid to be seen with her anymore. He loves to just sit down on the beach and listen as she enthusiastically talks about her day.

She's so tired and busy yet she still makes the time to see him throughout the week. Once, she dozed off right in the middle of telling a story and he instinctively leaned his shoulder to catch her head. He just sat there, frozen, until he caught a glimpse of her peaceful, sleeping face.

That's when he realized.

 _This is what being human is_ , he thought. _Finding joy in the little things_.


	55. town

lv. town

There was a time when Schalk would try and jump him, claiming he would show everyone what was underneath his costume. Then Alma started ganging up on him too, and he had no peace until Zahau scolded them. He wondered where they got their energy from.

... Until one day when he witnessed Caolila destroy a fence with her bare fists.

What was even stranger was that right afterwards Ludus popped out of nowhere, fixed the fence, and left like nothing had happened.

Lulukoko was truly a peculiar little village.

A peculiar, little village that was beginning to grow on him.


	56. fish

lvi. fish

"Thank you for always playing with Alma and Schalk. They can be quite a handful," Caolila laughs.

Zahau had caught a big haul again, and the couple was making rounds sharing fish with the village.

"You should join us at the bonfire."

He shakes his head. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly. I don't belong there."

"I know we weren't the most welcoming of villagers, but it's always been just us in this small town. And we understand that you're a good person. We all would like to see you there."

Zahau holds out a fish.

"Please. Come when you're ready."


End file.
